No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
by Harliquinn
Summary: The crew of Serenity agrees to do a job for one of Mal’s and Zoe’s old army buddies. However, things don’t go quite according to plan. Warning: May contain disciplinary spanking in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

Summary: The crew of Serenity agrees to do a job for one of Mal's and Zoe's old army buddies. However, things don't go quite according to plan. Warning: May contain disciplinary spanking in later chapters.

**CHAPTER 1**

"You have a wave, Captain."

Malcolm Reynolds looked up the side of the mule, where he was tinkering with the loose running board. Kaylee could have fixed the problem a lot quicker, but he was bored. And he was trying to keep his mind off the fact that they hadn't had a job in more than a month and there didn't seem to be any prospects for one any time soon.

"What was that, little one?" he asked, slightly amused. River was all but dancing in place at the top of the stairway leading down into the cargo bay of the ship.

"You have a wave," River repeated. She was excited because not only did the wave mean a job, but that job was going to prove to be quite an adventure. The Captain wouldn't have any idea what awaited them, and she wasn't going to tell.

A sudden thought occurred to the captain. "You didn't answer it, did you?" Since the broad wave about Miranda, the search for River and Simon hadn't been as intense, but the warrants for their arrests hadn't been withdrawn. That meant they were still wanted by the Alliance.

The look River gave him clearly said she couldn't believe he would even consider asking that question. Mal sighed, not for the first time he thought that he let his crew get away with way too much insubordination. "River," he said, the warning tone clear in his voice.

The girl grinned and executed a perfect pirouette. "Of course not, Jayne answered."

_Great_, Mal thought. _Having Jayne Cobb answer a wave was almost as bad as River doing it. _

Mal nodded, and turned to head up the bridge. He stopped when he heard River speaking behind him. "Beware of old friends offering new treasures." When he turned to look back at the young girl, she seemed to be in her own little world. Although she had improved drastically since Miranda, River still had her moments. Not wanting to take time to figure out what River had meant by her nonsense, Mal continued on to the bridge of his ship.

"River said there was a wave for me," Mal stated as he stepped onto the bridge. His curiosity about the wave almost instantly turned to annoyance when he spotted Jayne sitting in the pilot's seat with his booted feet propped up on the instrument console. He was cleaning his fingernails with the sharp tip of a very large knife.

"Yep," the merc replied, not bothering to sit up. "He's on hold for ya."

"Who is it?" Mal asked as he moved to sit in the co-pilot's seat. He eyed Jayne hard, but the large man just returned his look. He had no intention of leaving until after the Captain finished with the wave.

Cursing under his breath, Mal reached over and activated the monitor. "This is Captain Reynolds, who's this?"

"Well, well, Captain. Looks like someone's come up in the world." The face that started back at Mal had filled out some, but the Captain would have recognized that fuzzy bush of red hair and that slight Irish accent anywhere.

"Liam Hawkins, you son of a bitch. It's been what seven years?"

"Eight, but who's counting," Liam replied. "Look at you now, captain of your own ship. And who was that pretty little lass I saw slippin' outta the room when that great goon answered my wave?"

Mal shrugged. "Just one of my crew." He wasn't about to reveal River's identity if he didn't have to. "So whatta you been up to lately?"

"Well, I've been doin' a bit of ranchin' back home on Gaelach."

The two men continued to chat while Jayne sat in the pilot's chair and pretended to feign indifference to the entire conversation.

"Not that it ain't been nice catch up with an old acquaintance, but you got a reason for gettin' in touch with me?" Mal asked. He didn't know why, but the hairs on the back of his neck were starting to stand up in warning. He thought back to what River had said down in the cargo hold and wondered, not for the first time, if there was more to this than Liam was letting on.

"I suppose it is time to get down to business. You see, there's been a bit of a range war here the last few years over water rights. Durin' that time, I sent my daughter to live with my brother on Jiangyin. Now that I've won the war – not that I'm braggin' mind you – I've decided it's time to bring Marie home. Besides, I've been gettin' word from my brother that Marie's been gettin' into a spot of trouble. Keepin' company with the wrong sort of people and the like." Liam paused and tried to read Mal's face for any sign of what the captain might be thinking. "I'd like to hire you and your crew to transport Marie and some supplies back here from Jiangyin."

"Well, now that's a might far for us to travel, seein' as how we're at least a week out from Jiangyin and it'll take at least that to get to Gaelach from there. That kinda job ain't gonna come cheap, even for you," Mal replied.

"I'm well aware of that, and I'm prepared to more than compensation you for your time and troubles." The expression on Mal's face barely changed when Liam named an exorbitant amount, but Jayne was so surprised he nearly fell out of his chair.

"That's a mighty pretty price for a simple transport job. Might there be a reason for that?"

"Nothin' more than I'm willin' to pay for the best for this job. By all accounts, that happens to be you. Whatta you say, you interested in doin' this for me?"

Mal sat back in his seat and thought for a moment. He ignored Jayne's sound of disgust and watched as the large man stormed off the bridge, muttering under his breath about being a damned babysitter.

Liam laughed. "Seems your goon there isn't too thrilled with the prospects of this job. Must be too tame for him."

Mal smiled. "I'm tempted to take this job just for that reason. Seems I live to annoy Jayne. Still, why ain't you goin' after your kid yourself or have your brother bring her to you?"

"Fair enough question, I suppose. Truth of the matter is I can't leave just now. I was being honest when I said I won our little war over water rights. But, I gotta stick around to enforce 'em. My brother, well, he's feelin' poorly and ain't up to much travelin'," Liam explained. "So, you gonna take the job or do I need to keep lookin' for someone else."

Mal sat back in his seat again. It went against his better judgment, especially since the hairs on the back of his neck were still standing at attention, but they needed the coin this job would bring. "Yeah, we'll do it. Give me the details."

After Mal and Liam hashed out the details of the job, Mal agreed to get back to him shortly about whether they'd take the job. He then set a course for Jiangyin and, after activating the autopilot, went in search of his crew to deliver the news that they had a job.

Later, when the crew was all gathered around the table in the galley, Mal filled them in on the details of their next job.

"Sir, is this the same Liam Hawkins who was a gunner for the 98th?" Zoe asked. She had a feeling that they were about to land in yet another mess right up to their collective necks.

"That'd be the one," Mal answered his first make.

"Do you think it's wise to get mixed up with him right now?"

Mal looked around the table at everyone seated there. "Don't see as how we've got much choice right now. We ain't as bad off as we have been in the past, but we're gettin' close. We need this job, and I figure if we go into it expected trouble"

Jayne had remained quiet long enough. "I was listenin' to that conversation, and somethin' ain't kosher. There's more to this job than what that sonuvabitch is lettin' on."

"I ain't arguin' that point, but what I am sayin' is that we need this job or we might not be able to make it until we find another one."

Ever the cool voice of reason Kaylee finally spoke, "what makes you think that this guy is tryin' to pull somethin' over on us?"

"He was a gunner for the 98th. Mal and I ran into him on occasion during the war. But, even then you couldn't trust him. He was a conman. He'd have you goin' along with him faster than you could blink, and then he'd pull the rug right out from under you. There were even some that thought he was spyin' for the alliance, but nobody was ever able to prove anything," Zoe responded.

"If our circumstances are as bad as the captain says they are, I don't see where we have a choice," Simon spoke up. He glanced at River, who was watching the proceedings with a look of interest on her face. "I supposed we'll just have to be careful is all."

Mal nodded and turned to Inara. "You got anything to say on the subject?"

The former licensed companion met Mal's gaze with one of her own. "No, I don't, except to say that I agree with Simon. We need to be cautious."

"That settles it. I'll contact Liam and tell him we'll take the jobs." Mal stood. "Those 'a you that have contacts that might be useful oughtta get in touch which them. Find out if there's any word out there about Liam plannin' anything. Never hurts to check."

* * * * TBC * * * *


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** Sorry this chapter is shorter than what I usually post. I haven't been in the mood to write lately, due largely in part to the problems posed by my spring-time allergies and a very seriously ill pet. My allergies are starting to clear up, but I'm still trying to make a decision about my pet's future. I suppose because of all of that, the words just didn't seem to want to come to me. Plus, I'm in a situation where I'm not quite sure I like where the story in my head in going. I'm not even sure I like Mal the way I've written him here. Anyway, enough of my troubles -- I hope you enjoy this chapter.

**CHAPTER 2**

About a week later, _Serenity_ touched down in a secluded canyon not far from the capital city of Jiangyin. As had been previously arranged, Mal sent a wave to Sean Hawkins, Liam's brother to inform him of their arrival. The men agreed that Sean would bring Marie and the cargo out to _Serenity _later that day.

In anticipation, Mal gathered the crew in the galley to discuss strategy. "The plan is to get Hawkins' daughter onboard and the supplies loaded as quickly as possible and get outta here. I don't want to have to spend any more time on this rock than we gotta. My gut's still tellin' me something's off." He looked over at River and Simon. "I want you two to stay on the boat and outta sight."

"Why do River and I have to stay on the ship? We'd enjoy the opportunity to leave this ship for a while like everyone else," Simon protested.

Mal glanced over at River and noted with mild curiosity that her facial expression hadn't changed with his order. It was almost as if she had been expecting it. Turning to Simon, he stated clearly, "we ain't gonna be far from those hill folk who wanted to burn you and your sister at the stake. I don't want them spottin' you two and gettin' any ideas. 'Sides, you get yourself snatched again, I might just leave you this time."

"You left us the last time we got snatched," Simon protested, still not happy with the captain's orders.

"Yeah, but we came back for you, didn't we. Maybe next time we won't" Mal indicated that topic of conversation was over by turning to look at Jayne and Zoe. "I want you to keep your eyes and ears open once we land. Ain't no reason for us to be taken by surprise."

A while later, Mal and Zoe stood at the mouth of the canyon where _Serenity_ was hidden. Jayne was on a rock ledge high on the canyon wall to act as a spotter and sniper, if necessary. The skin on the back of Mal's neck was crawling, and he didn't like the sensation one bit, especially since he hadn't been able to find any information on what Liam Hawkins might be planning.

Soon they heard the sound of an engine approaching, and they quickly realized that the engine noise didn't quite drown out the sound of a teenage girl's cursing. The cursing became even more apparent when a mule carrying two men topped a rise in the terrain about 500 feet away. One man was driving, while the other one, who looked enough like Liam to be his brother, had a grip on the arm of a struggling teenage girl.

"Let go of me you _tah mah duh won dahn_. I'm gonna feed your liver to the first Reaver I find." The girl swung a fist at the man. He easily ducked it and shook the girl in response.

Mal and Zoe exchanged a glance. They could only assume this young harridan was Hawkins' daughter. "_Ta ma de_," Mal exclaimed. "Whatta you wanna bet that Hawkins knew exactly what his little girl was like?"

"I wouldn't take that bet, sir," Zoe responded. Although it wasn't likely, she just hoped this was the only surprise that Hawkins had in store for them.

Mal stepped forward just as Marie managed to break free and jumped from the mule. The man who had lost his grip on her arm took off after her, and Mal joined in the chase. She only got a short distance before the captain grabbed her by the arm and hauled her back to where Zoe was standing with the driver of the mule. The other man quickly joined them and introduced himself as Sean Hawkins. Mal motioned toward _Serenity_, just visible in the canyon. "Why don't you gentlemen take the supplies on to the ship. Folks onboard'll show you where to unload them." Sean started to protest but Mal turned to him. "I think Miss Hawkins and I need to have a little discussion about how I expect her to behave while onboard my ship." Hawkins nodded and the two men drove off in the direction Mal had indicated.

Mal then turned to Marie, who was still trying to break the grip he had on her upper arm. He gave her another shake. "Little girl, you'd best listen and listen close. Your daddy hired us to take you home to him, and that's exactly what we aim to do. You pull anymore of that _tzao gao_, and I'll personally see to it that you'll sorely regret it."

Marie once again tried, unsuccessfully, to pull her arm out of Mal's grasp. She didn't know what her father had planned, but there was no way in hell she was going back to him. She couldn't help but wander if Captain Reynolds and his crew had any idea of what they were involved in. "You ain't got any right to treat me this way."

"You can take that up with your daddy when you see him. While you're on my ship you will live by my rule. That means you don't try and run, don't fight me or any member of my crew, and you watch your mouth. _Dong le ma_?"

Mal waited for her response. The long he waited, the angrier he became. Zoe sensed that the confrontation between Mal and Marie wasn't going to end well, so she stepped between them. "I think it's time we took Marie up to the ship. Give everyone time to cool off before anyone does something they'll regret." She looked pointedly at Mal.

Zoe's calm voice of reason sank through the red haze of his temper and he released Marie's arm and took a step back. "Fine, but this discussion ain't over. You'd best watch yourself little girl, or you ain't gonna like what's gonna happen." Mal spun on his heel and stalked off in the direction of _Serenity_, leaving Zoe in charge of getting Marie to the ship.

"You want to tell me what all that was about?" Zoe asked the teenager.

"You gonna do anything about it if I did?" Marie asked in turn, already sure of what the answer was going to be. She knew she would most likely have to gain the trust of at least some of the members of _Serenity's_ crew before anyone would help her. She would have to wait and meet everyone before she could determine who might best work for her plan. All she knew was that she had to get off the ship before it landed on Gaelach and she was turned over to her father. Also, she didn't know what supplies were being loaded aboard the ship. But, if she had to hazard a guess, she figured it was something illegal.

Zoe studied the girl for a moment then replied. "I don't know. Depends on what you tell me." When Marie remained silent, Zoe motioned toward _Serenity_. "Come on, let's go. Captain'll be wanting to take off as soon as those supplies are stowed away." The two started off toward _Serenity_. Marie was slightly surprised when Jayne joined them a few minutes later. She had had no idea the large man had been anywhere around.

Mal looked up as the three entered the cargo bay. The crates had been removed from the mule and stacked in a corner, and Mal was in deep conversation with Sean Hawkins. When Marie entered the cargo bay with Jayne and Zoe, Sean excused himself and moved to speak with his niece.

"I don't have the foggiest idea why your da is wantin' you brought home now. But, you take care." He glanced over at Captain Reynolds and the other members of _Serenity's_ crew. "My gut tells me you can trust these people to help you, but they ain't gonna do that if you keep fightin' them. You gotta tell 'em what's goin' on. " He pulled Marie into his arms for a hug.

"I don't know who to trust, Uncle Sean. For all I know, these people know exactly what my father has planned, and I'm the one completely in the dark," she said into his shoulder.

"What does your gut tell you?"

"That's just it, Uncle Sean," she said, stepping back out of his embrace. "My gut's telling me he's using them as much as, if not more than, than he's using me. My gut's also telling me that whatever's in those crates is something that could cause a whole lot of trouble if the Alliance should find it on this ship."

"Aye, and I warned him of that very thing," Sean stated. He pulled Marie to him for another quick hug. "Think about what I said, lass. Captain Reynolds and his people would probably help you if you asked." With that, Sean Hawkins turned and left the cargo bay. The driver and the mule quickly followed, leaving Marie to watch as the cargo bay doors were closed behind them.

"Jayne, get those crates stowed away where they won't be found if the Alliance comes nosing around," Mal's voice interrupted the silence. "Get the doc to help you, if you need it." Mal ignored Jayne's insulted curse and turned to Zoe. "Go find River and get this boat in the air. Set a course for Gaelach, with a fuel stop along the way."

"Yes, sir," Zoe responded and, with a glance at Marie, headed up the metal stairs to the upper level of the ship.

Finally, picking up the bag that was resting at his feet, Mal turned to Marie. "Come on, I'll introduce you to the rest of the crew and find you a bunk. You can get settled in."

Marie nodded and followed Mal to the doorway at the end of the cargo bay. She was surprised to find herself walking into what appeared to be a common area consisting of a lounge and galley.

Mal placed her bag on the galley table and turned to study the girl for a moment before continuing. "We already talked about some of the rules aboard my ship." He didn't miss Marie's exaggerated eye roll, but chose to ignore it. "The rest of the rules are that you don't go anywhere you ain't supposed to be. You can have free run of the common area and the passenger dorm, but you ain't to set foot in the cargo bay, engine room, or bridge unless I've given you leave. You got that?" He waited for her reply. Marie simply stared at him, giving him no indication that she understood the new rule. "I asked you a question, and I expect an answer, or do we need to have us a little discussion about consequences?" He deliberately put his hands on his belt buckle so Marie would have no trouble understanding his meaning.

Marie's eyes widened at the implied threat. She couldn't believe this man would threaten her that way. The intent look in the captain's eyes told her he was more than willing to carry out the threat should she force his hand, so she quickly answered. "Yeah, I get it."

Mal thought about demanding respect for himself and his crew, but since he didn't demand it from his crew he decided to let that one go – for now. He picked the bag up off the table and gestured for Marie to follow him. "Let's go."

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note**: I'm sorry it's taken me so long to post this chapter. I haven't been much in the mood to write lately, so it's been a bit of a struggle to get things down.

Thank you to everyone who commented about my pet. I was feeling very sorry for myself when I wrote that note, and I appreciate everyone's sentiments. I ended up having to euthanize my cat, Harli (the one in my avatar picture). He'd been fighting hyperthyroid disease and blood pressure problems for the last 3 years, and he had developed kidney failure. Harli was a great companion, and he will be greatly missed.

**CHAPTER 3**

Mal stepped into the engine room and drew up short when he spotted Marie sitting in Kaylee's hammock, carrying on a conversation with the mechanic as she worked on the engine. "_Gwai-gwai long duh gong_," he exclaimed, angrily. Ignoring Kaylee's look of surprise, Mal stalked over and hauled Marie to her feet.

"I thought I done told you that you weren't to set foot in here without my leave, and I don't rightly recall giving it to you."

Marie jerked her arm from Mal's grasp and returned his angry glare. "Kaylee invited me in to talk while she worked."

Meanwhile, Kaylee, still holding the screwdriver she'd been working with, came to her feet. "There somethin' wrong here, Cap'n?" She couldn't figure out why the captain was so angry at finding Marie in the engine room. It wasn't as if the teenager was in there alone and could do any damage.

Due to his concern over what surprises Liam might be planning to spring on them and not knowing if Marie would have any part in it, Mal's temper was running dangerously high. He spun on Kaylee and glared at her as if he couldn't believe she had dared to question him. "Hell, yes, something's wrong. I come in here and find this _boo hway-hun duh puo-foo_ in the exact place I told her to stay out of." He grabbed Marie's arm and started pulling her through the narrow engine room into the passageway.

"_Kuh-ohh duh lao bau jurn_," Kaylee muttered under her breath. However, it was said just loud enough for Mal to hear, and he spun back to face her.

"And I'm damn sick and tired of bein' sassed by you. It's gonna stop here and now, unless you want your ass blistered."

Kaylee looked at the captain in open-mouthed surprise. She couldn't believe he'd just threatened to whoop her over something he'd always given her free-reign to do. She also thought he was over-reacting a bit in finding Marie in the engine room. But, knowing better than to push Mal when he was in that kind of temper, Kaylee merely nodded and responded, "yes, sir."

Suddenly, Mal felt like a royal bastard. He started to apologize, but quickly changed his mind. Instead of exhibiting any sort of weakness by apologizing in front of Marie, he would come back later and do it. The last thing he wanted was for the teenager to think he was going soft. He proceeded to haul Marie behind him until he reached the door of the room she'd been assigned in the passenger dorm.

"What is it about me that makes you distrust me so," Marie asked as she turned to face Mal as soon as he shoved her into her room.

"Well, it couldn't be the fact that I found you someplace I told you to stay clear of, now could it? Or the warning I got from your pa that you've been up to no good, keepin' time with the wrong sorta people and all that?" Mal crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the door frame. "Or, I don't know, the fact that I ain't had any reason yet to trust you?"

Marie shrugged and moved to sit on the bed. "You happen to wonder why my father told you I was up to no good or that I was spending time with the wrong people?" She gave a short laugh. "For the last ten years I've lived with my uncle on his farm. The only people I've been spending time with are my cousins and the farm hands. If I was lucky I got to go into town three or four times a year." Restless, she stood and started pacing around the small room. "My father's up to something, and I don't know what it is."

Once again, she turned to face Mal. She wanted him to see her face as she spoke. "The last time my father had me brought home, he was planning on marrying me off to one of his creditors to settle a debt. The man was old enough to be my great-grandfather and was rumored to have killed his last child bride because she didn't get pregnant on their honeymoon." Her embarrassment over what had happened caused her to turn her back on Mal. She hugged herself to attempt to ward off the chill that suddenly passed through her body.

"Instead of quietly giving in like my father wanted, I acted like an obnoxious spoiled brat. Apparently, that was enough to convince that old man I wasn't a good candidate to be his next victim. My father was so angry that he beat me bloody and sent me back to my uncle's." She shivered involuntarily at the memory. "I hadn't seen or heard from him until I got his wave ordering me to come back aboard your ship."

"_Ching-wah TSAO duh liou mahng"_, Mal exclaimed, angrily. He'd heard of such doings, but he still wasn't convinced that the teenage girl in front of him was telling the truth. However, in the back of his mind, his subconscious was telling him that either she was being completely honest with him or she was a hell of an actress.

Tears welled up in her eyes, and Marie reached up to wipe them away. Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself and turned back to face the captain. "I can't go back to him."

Mal straightened so that he no longer leaned against the wall. "Whether you want to go back to your pa or not ain't my concern. We're being paid to take you to him, and that's exactly what's gonna happen." He felt for the girl, but he had a crew and ship to worry about. He could let his feelings get in the way of performing this job. After all, it was the first one they'd managed to find in a long time, and the coin they'd receive for it was badly needed.

Okay_,_ Marie thought, she wasn't going to get any help from Captain Reynolds.She was going to have to turn her attention to other members of _Serenity's_ crew if she was going to manage to escape when they made their scheduled fuel stop. At this point, she didn't even know when or where that was going to be.

When Mal turned to leave the room, Marie called after him. "Captain, you might want to take a look at that cargo you're carrying. I don't know what it is, but I suspect that whatever's in there might convince you that I'm telling the truth."

Later after she figured Mal's temper had had a chance to cool, Marie ventured out of her room to the galley. She was surprised to find Inara, Kaylee, and River sitting around the table.

When Marie walked in Inara looked up from the conversation she was having with Kaylee. "Would you like some tea, my dear?" she asked, reaching for the tea pot and a cup off the tray in the middle of the table.

"You sure that _hun dan_ of a captain ain't gonna jump down your throats for daring to associate with me?" Marie asked snidely.

"I don't know what got into him earlier, but the Cap'n was way outta line," Kaylee replied, gesturing for Marie to take the seat beside her.

"When I asked him about that, he said he didn't have any reason to trust me." Marie shrugged, hoping that the gesture showed she could care less what the captain thought of her.

"Still don't make it right," Kaylee stated.

Inara set a cup of tea in front of Marie. "The Captain is worried about this job. Unfortunately, worry tends to put him in a foul temper. It sounds like he took that temper out on you." The former licensed companion placed her hand reassuringly over Marie's. "I know that's not very much comfort, but you were probably just a convenient target."

Marie smiled slightly, acknowledging Inara's words. This conversation was the perfect opportunity to begin trying to persuade these women to help her. If she could get at least one of them on her side, she might have a chance to get away at the fuel stop. Instinctively, she knew that if anyone would be willing to assist her in getting off this ship, it would be them. "Well, he isn't the only one who's worried."

"What do you mean?" Inara looked at the teenager speculatively. Something told her the girl was up to something, but she couldn't put a finger on what.

Marie took a sip of her tea and considered her next words very carefully. Of the other three women in the galley, she pegged Inara as the one whom she had to be the most careful with. The girl was sure she could convince Kaylee to help her, and, although River was still a bit of an unknown entity, she seemed willing to follow wherever Kaylee led her. Sighing, she carefully placed her cup back on the table and looked at the three women.

"My father's got something planned for me. I don't know what it is, and I'm afraid to find out."

"I don't get it," Kaylee stated, straightening up in her chair. "Why would you be afraid of your father?" In many ways, Kaylee was still naïve, and she couldn't understand why someone would be afraid of her own father. To Kaylee's mind, the chance to see her father would be reason for joy, not fear.

Marie didn't know why she was surprised at Kaylee's statement, but she was. "Some of us aren't all that lucky in the father department." She repeated what she had told Mal about her last encounter with her father.

"_Lao tyen yeh_," Kaylee exclaimed in horror when Marie finished her story.

"You see," Marie continued, ignoring Kaylee's interruption. "That's why I have to get off this ship at the fuel stop. I can't go back to my father."

Kaylee nodded. "Cap'n won't like it, but I'll help you."

Marie started to jump up and give Kaylee a hug in thanks, but Inara's statement stopped her. "You need to consider what you are about to do very carefully, both of you. You were right, Kaylee, Mal won't like this at all. Given his current mood, he may act more harshly than you might anticipate." She turned and gave Marie a hard look. "I'm sorry, but how do we know you are telling us the truth? That you are just making up this story to convince us to help you?"

Marie started to respond, but River interrupted her. "Daddy's coming. It's time to hide. Bad things will happen if he finds you."

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

**See Chapter 1 for warnings and disclosures.**

**Author's Note**: Seems like I've gotten into a bad habit of taking a long time to post each new chapter. I wish I could say that I promise to do better, but real life is really hectic right now.

**CHAPTER 4**

Mal sat on the back of the mule staring at the crate he'd pulled out of its hiding place in the cargo bay. He couldn't get Marie's warning about what the crates contained out of his head. But, he hadn't been able to bring himself to open it either.

"You won't find out what Hawkins is hiding by staring at those crates."

Mal started in surprise and caught himself before he fell off the back of the mule. He looked up to see Inara coming through the corridor from the lounge into the cargo bay.

"And just what would you know about it?" he asked.

Inara ignored Mal's glare and walked over to the mule, where she picked up a crow bar. Handing it to Mal, she said, "there's only one way to find out what's in there."

She sighed when Mal just continued to stare at her, not moving to take the crow bar. "I know Marie told you about her father, and I, for one, believe she's telling the truth. You need to find out what's in that crate. Otherwise, you're going into whatever Liam Hawkins has planned completely blind."

Mal stood and grabbed the crow bar from Inara's hand. "Wouldn't be the first time." He moved to the crate and, using the crow bar, pried the lid loose. Handing the crow bar back to Inara, he removed the top and looked down into the crates. From all appearances, the crate was filled with food stuffs. However, as Mal dug through the top layer of boxes and cans, he unearthed boxes of ammunition. The further he dug, the more he found. "_Da-shLiamg bao-tza shr duh lah doo-tze_," Mal cursed ripely.

Inara approached him and placed a hand on his arm. "Mal, you have to consider that Marie might be telling the truth about her father. She was about these crates." Mal started to interrupt her, but she pressed on. "If she is, you can't send her back to that man."

Mal nodded reluctantly. This was Niska's train job all over again. They desperately needed the coin this job would bring them, but how could he turn that teenager over to a monster – even if that monster was her father and an old army buddy. They would be stopping at the fuel station within a few hours, and he would have to make a decision about what to do before then.

Inara thought briefly of telling Mal what she suspected Kaylee and Marie might be planning. However, she quickly reconsidered, not wanting to betray Kaylee's trust or try to influence Mal's decision. He wouldn't be convinced that whatever action he took was right unless he'd made the decision all on his own. Seeing that Mal was repacking the crate, Inara slipped through the doorway leading into the corridor to the passenger dorm. She just hoped that whatever Mal decided to do was something they could all live with.

OoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooO

Marie and Kaylee were in Kaylee's bunk. Kaylee knew what she and Marie were planning was a very bad idea. She also knew that when the captain found out what she'd done, she'd be lucky to be able to sit down any during the next month. But, she was willing to risk the whooping to help Marie escape. Kaylee had no doubt that what Marie had told her had been the truth.

"We'll be at the fuel stop in a few hours. You can leave the ship then and find passage on another one." Kaylee paused for a moment, considering the possible scenarios for how they could get Marie off the ship without Mal knowing. "Cap'n and Zoe will probably head out to make the fuel purchase and get some supplies. He'll likely leave Jayne in charge. We can get past him without any problem."

Marie wasn't sure she liked this plan. She also wasn't sure she liked the idea of Kaylee putting herself in danger to help her. "I don't know, Kaylee. You sure I can get past Jayne?"

"Sure, I'll get River to help me distract him. It'll be easy." Kaylee was already planning exactly what she'd do. The big mercenary was nothing if not predictable. Mention girls or weapons and he could think of nothing else.

"Okay, but what about me booking passage on another ship?" Marie asked. "I don't have any money, and I sure don't want to try and do it on my looks alone."

"Don't worry about that either," Kaylee stated. "I got some coin set aside from some of our past jobs. I'll loan you enough for passage and to set started somewhere else. You can pay me back later."

"I can't take your money, Kaylee." Marie was shocked that a virtual stranger would offer to do that for her.

"Sure you can," Kaylee said, draping an arm around Marie's shoulders and pulling her close for a hug. "Ain't nothing I want to buy right now and you need it more'n I do. Plus, I know you'll find a way to pay me back."

Kaylee stood. "Now, I've got to get to the engine room so the Cap'n don't suspect anything. I'll meet you in the passenger lounge right after we land, okay?"

Marie nodded, still a little surprised at Kaylee's offer to help. She knew her friend was taking a big risk, and, although she didn't think it was quite enough, simply said, "thank you." With that, she followed Kaylee up the ladder into the corridor.

OoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooO

_Serenity_ touched down at the docks of Fueling Station Epsilon. Mal powered down the ship's engines and left the bridge to meet Zoe in the cargo bay. They would be going to make arrangements to have the ship fueled and to purchase some supplies. Mal also wanted to look for someplace to store the crates that were still hidden on board _Serenity_. Jayne would be in charge of the ship, and everyone had been given strict orders to not so much as peak out a window.

As he moved through the corridors toward the cargo bay Mal's thoughts turned to Marie. He didn't know what he was going to do about her. She'd been telling the truth about the contents of the crates. He had gone back to the cargo bay and opened the rest of the crates to find out what was hidden in them. It wasn't likely that they'd get stopped by the AllLiamce, but he didn't want to get caught smuggling all those firearms and ammunition. Besides, he didn't particularly want to think about what plans Liam Hawkins might have for all that fire power. Mal started down the metal stairs into the cargo bay, his thoughts still on the problem presented to him by Marie. If she'd been telling him the truth about the crates, he had to figure she had also told him the truth about her father. Damn, he thought. He hated it when his conscious got in the way_._

Moments after Mal and Zoe left with the mule, Marie stepped into the lounge. She only had to wait a short while before Kaylee, followed by River, stepped into the room.

"Let's give Mal and Zoe a few minutes, then River and I will go down and distract Jayne," Kaylee said, as she moved to sit down beside Marie on the couch. "You can slip out then."

Marie nodded. She knew from having spoken with Inara that Mal had looked in the crates and had found the firearms and ammunition hidden there. It was true she hadn't known for sure exactly what had been hidden in the crates, if anything, but she had strongly suspected. And, she wasn't all the surprised to find out she'd been right. But, now sitting there listening to Kaylee and River chatter on about how they were going to distract Jayne, she wondered if this was really such a good idea. Maybe she thought, she should wait until Mal and Zoe got back and try talking to him again. Then again, if she waited and Mal still refused to help her, she would have lost her one opportunity to escape. No, she decided, she had to go through with what she and Kaylee had planned.

"Come on," Kaylee said, bringing Marie's attention back to the present. "It's time."

Kaylee and River started down the corridor that opened into the cargo bay, pretending to argue about rumors of dancing girl on the fuel station. Marie shook her head in amusement and followed after them. To their surprise, Jayne wasn't in the cargo bay. The coast was clear for Marie to make her escape.

The teenager turned to Kaylee and said, "I can't thank you enough for what you're doing. I just wish you weren't going to get in trouble with the captain for doing it."

Kaylee pulled Marie into a quick hug. "Don't worry about it, Sweetie. I can deal with the Cap'n. You just make sure you be careful and don't take too many risks. You have the money I gave you?"

Marie nodded, too touched at Kaylee's gesture to speak. With one last hug, she turned and made her way across the cargo bay and out the door.

Just as the door closed behind her, Jayne stepped onto the upper catwalk from the corridor that led to the crew quarters and the bridge. "What's goin' on here?" he asked. He knew something wasn't right, but he couldn't put a finger on what it was.

"Nothing is going on," River replied as she and Kaylee both turned and walked back into the lounge.

OoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooO

Less than an hour later, Mal and Zoe had returned. He had arranged storage for the crates and, with Jayne's help, was loading them onto the mule. Mal had paid the storage fee out of the money Hawkins had paid them for the job. Payment arrangements had been half up front when the cargo and Marie were picked up and the remaining half when they were delivered. Mal figured he wouldn't be in the wrong for keeping the remainder of the money for transporting the goods that far. He intended to store them and let Hawkins know where they were once _Serenity_ was well away from this particular rock. Now, he just had to decide what to do about the girl.

Mal had just heaved the last crate onto the back of the mule when River slipped into the cargo bay. From the expression on her face, he could tell she wanted something. "What is it Lil' Albatross. I'm kinda in a hurry here."

Usually River gave cryptic warnings whenever she had a vision that warned of something about to happen. However, there was no time for the captain to figure out her meaning. "Marie needs your help. They've found her, and she's in trouble."

Mal studied River's face. "Whatta you talkin' about? Marie's on the ship and ain't nobody getting' on here to take her off."

River shook her head. "She left. They've got her. You need to go help her."

_"Aiya! _What in the gorram hell are you talkin' about?" Mal moved to tower over River. He should have expected Marie to make a break for it.

River shook her head. "There's no time. They've got her and are getting ready to board a ship for Gaelach. If she's returned to her father, she's going to die."

Mal stared hard at River. "When this is over, you and I are going to have a serious discussion. Since I figure Kaylee's in on this, too, you best tell her to be ready to tell me exactly what happened. _Dong ma?"_

River nodded. "Yes, sir."

Mal moved over to the ship's intercom. "Zoe, Jayne get down to the cargo bay. There's trouble." Turning back to River, he asked, "since you seem to know everything, where can I find Marie?"

"They're taking her to a ship docked at bay five." River proceeded to give Mal a description of the men who had Marie and the ship. By the time she was finished, Jayne and Zoe had arrived in the cargo bay.

"What's the problem, sir?" Zoe asked.

"Seems Marie managed to sneak off the ship while we were gone," he stated, glaring at Jayne.

"Hey, weren't my fault," the large man replied.

"We'll discuss that later. River here says Marie's been grabbed by a couple 'a men who are takin' her to her father. She also says Marie's in danger. We're gonna go get her."

Jayne smiled. There was nothing he liked more than a good old-fashioned fight. Shouldering his gun, he moved toward the door. "Well, whatta we waitin' for?"

* * ** TBC * * * *


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

Mal, followed closely by Jayne and Zoe, approached Bay Five. It wasn't long before they spotted two men approaching the ship that River had described. One of the men had Marie slung over his shoulder. She wasn't moving.

He quickly turned to Jayne. "How good are your acting skills," he asked the big man. Jayne shrugged in response.

"Whatta you got planned, sir?" Zoe asked, not quite she was going to like the idea.

Mal motioned for his companions to step behind a food cart, where they wouldn't be visible to the two men. "Jayne I want you to create a diversion by acting drunk and stumbling into the man carrying Marie. While you're doing that, Zoe and I will sneak up on him and his friend and pull our guns on them?"

Zoe shook her head. After all these years, she was still amazed at some of the foolhardy plans the captain could come up with. "You sure that'll work?"

"No," Mal stated. "But you got a better idea?"

"No, not really, sir," was Zoe's reply.

Mal nodded. "I'd like to end this without too much bloodshed. We don't need any more attention drawn to us than's necessary." He turned to Jayne. "Think you can handle it?"

"Hell yes, I can handle it," Jayne replied as he swung Vera, his favorite gun, across his shoulder so that she hung down his back. He reached up and ruffled his hair so that large sections of it stood on end. He slumped into a cocked hip posture that looked like he would tumble over at any minute. Smiling, he held up a hand to indicate that he wanted Mal and Zoe to wait a moment. He slid his hand into his pants pocket and pulled out a small metal flask. He took a long drink from the flask and splashed some onto his clothing. Grinning, he slipped the flask back into his pocket and slung and arm around Zoe's shoulders, leaning into her for support. "Whatta you think?"

Mal and Zoe looked at Jayne in surprise. They weren't quite sure why he had even agreed to come along, much less why he was so readily participating in the captain's crazy scheme. Jayne hadn't been all that happy to have Marie aboard _Serenity_. They would have thought that he would be happy to have her off the ship.

Sensing their thoughts, Jayne shrugged his shoulders. "Jus' cause I don't like 'er don't mean I wanted her ta' get snatched, or that I want ta' leave her at the mercy of those _tyen-sah duh uh-muo_ who got her."

Mal and Zoe shared a look. "Get off me you _ye wei fei fei shu_," Zoe growled as she gave Jayne a shove.

"Alright, enough." Mal tiled his head toward the men who were quickly approaching the ship. "Go distract 'em and Zoe and I will come up behind them."

Jayne smiled and moved to do just that. He staggered off in the direction of the men singing a drunken, off-key rendition of a folk song about a beautiful girl lost in the void of space. Mal and Zoe waited a few seconds and then followed him, their guns held ready by their sides.

For once, one of Mal's schemes went exactly as planned. Jayne staggered into the man holding Marie and slickly removed the man's gun from its holster on his side.

"Par'n me," Jayne slurred and clumsily patted the man on the shoulder.

"Get away from here ya' asshole," the man shouted, aiming a kick in Jayne's direction. However, Marie's weight on his shoulder had him off balance, so the kick was barely noticeable.

"What's going on here?" the man's companion asked, coming to stand beside Jayne.

"Ain't nuthin' goin' one exceptin' you're gonna hand over that gun and step back," Mal stated, coming up behind the second man and pressing his gun into the small of the man's back. Zoe stepped up behind the man holding Marie and did the same. Seeing that he had the men's attention, Mal continued. "Now, we can do this real peaceable like. You hand over the girl and we'll be on our merry. Or, we can put a bullet or two in each 'a your spines and take the girl." To emphasize his words, Mal pressed the barrel of his gun harder into the man's back. "I think that's reasonable, don't you? You've got five seconds to decide."

Jayne grinned. He was now holding Vera on the man he had bumped into. "Sounds pretty damn reasonable to me."

"We don't want any trouble. You can have the girl." Jayne stepped forward to take the still unconscious Marie into his arms. "'Sides, her daddy ain't payin' us enough for this."

They quickly made their way back to _Serenity_, watching over their shoulders the entire way for Hawkins' men. Once they were back onboard, Mal ordered Jayne to take Marie to the infirmary. Because Simon was in the cargo bay when the small group entered, he quickly left to accompany Jayne and Marie.

Turning to Kaylee and River, Mal have them a hard look. "Zoe, get this boat fueled and in the air. We need to get off this rock as soon as possible." He started to head toward the infirmary to check on Marie, but turned around abruptly and stared hard at the two girls. "Once this boat's in the air, I want you two to wait for me in the kitchen. I don't know yet what role either of you played in this, but I aim to find out." Kaylee started to say something, but Mal held his hand up and shook his head. "I don't want to hear it now. You got jobs to do, so go do them. And you'd best be comin' up with a good explanation for all 'a this."

He watched as the two young women scrambled up the metal stairs toward the upper decks and the bridge. Mal started toward the infirmary, but stopped and turned to look at Inara, who had just come down the stairs from her shuttle. "And just what do you know about this?" he demanded.

"I don't know what you mean," Inara said, taking a step back from Mal.

Mal followed until he stood inches from her. "You exactly what I'm talking about, Inara. You've never lied to me before, and I advise you not to start now. I want you to tell me exactly what you know about Marie leaving this ship."

Inara bristled at Mal's accusatory tone. "I was there when Marie asked Kaylee and River for help. Other than that, I didn't know anything about it."

"But you suspected," Mal literally growled. "That's why you pushed me to look in those crates." His hands fisted at his sides. It was all he could do not to grab Inara and shake her. "You suspected they might have something planned, and you didn't tell me!" His voice has risen to a level that Inara was sure everyone on _Serenity_ had heard his shouts.

"Yes," Inara replied somewhat shakily. She'd seen Mal in a temper before, but had never had that temper aimed in her direction. Trying not to let her apparitions show, she hurried on. "I didn't say anything because I wasn't sure they had actually planned anything."

Mal abruptly stepped back, turned on his heel and headed toward the infirmary.

"What are you going to do?" Inara called after him.

"I don't know," came Mal's reply as he stepped into the corridor.

He stepped into the corridor and saw Jayne standing in the corner, his massive arms crossed over his chest, a worried expression on his face. Simon was busy tending to Marie. He looked up when Mal entered the room.

"Well?" the captain asked by way of greeting.

"She's been drugged. I found the puncture mark from the needle on her neck."

"Can you give her something to bring her out of it?" Mal was anxious to question the girl to find out exactly how she left the ship.

"No." When Mal gave him a hard look, Simon quickly continued. "I don't know what they gave her. I could guess. But, if I guess incorrectly and gave her the wrong stimulant, it could kill her."

Mal really wasn't in the mood to wait, but he couldn't fault the doctor's explanation. "Any idea how long she'll be out?"

Simon shook his head in response. "Her vitals are on the low side of normal. Again, not knowing what they gave her, I really can't say. It could be only a matter of minutes or it could be hours."

"Or never?"

"No," Simon quickly responded. "Her vitals don't indicate anything like that. If I had to guess, I'd say she'll wake up in an hour or two."

Mal nodded. He'd just have a little talk with Kaylee and River while he was waiting. His gut, along with the girls' behavior, told him that at least one, if not both, of them were involved in this somehow. "Call me when she wakes up." He turned to leave the infirmary.

"Captain," Simon called after him, stepping around the table toward the door. He had been in the cargo hold when Mal had been handing out orders. He also knew that the Captain suspected Kaylee and River had played a part in what happened with Marie. "What are you going to do?"

"Now that depends on what I find out," Mal replied before he left the room. He wanted to go to his bunk for a bit to settle his mind about what had happened. But, he'd felt the ship lift off and settle only moments later at the refueling station. He knew he could trust Zoe to oversee everything, but he wanted to check on the progress first.

Less than an hour later, Mal stood in the kitchen, his hands on his hips, glaring at Kaylee and River. "Alright, let's hear it. What happened?"

"How would we know what happened, we weren't there when Marie got snatched," River stated. Kaylee mentally cringed and steeled herself for the explosion she knew was coming from the captain.

Mal placed his hands on the table and leaned forward so that his face was only inches away from River's. "You don't want to mess with me on this _wei xiao nu hai_." Standing straight, he glared at both girls. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. Now tell me what you did to help Marie get off this ship."

Kaylee started to question why he was so certain they had done anything to help Marie, but quickly decided against that plan of action. She'd known the captain would be angry about Marie's escape attempt, but she hadn't expected him to be this angry. Finally, after squirming for several moments under Mal's hard stare, Kaylee gave in. "I helped her, River didn't have anything to do with it."

River bristled at Kaylee's attempt to absolve her of any guilt. "I helped."

Mal scrubbed his hands over his face, partially to hide his smile. River sounded like a petulant child who had been left out of an adventure. If he had to guess, he's say that Kaylee and Marie had orchestrated the entire thing, and had held River in reserve as a diversion. "Fine, if that's the way you want it, both of you can go to your bunks. I'll come talk to you in a bit." After all, he wasn't going to be able to get the full story until Marie woke up.

Both Kaylee and River stood to follow his order. "I want you to go straight to your bunks. No stopping or talking along the way. And you'd best stay there. You don't want me to have to come looking for you."

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note: Sorry I took so long in posting this chapter. The last few weeks have been extremely hectic with work, traveling to visit family, and rehearsals and a performance with the local community orchestra – all of which greatly cut into my writing time. I just hope you think this chapter is worth the wait!

Warning: This chapter contains disciplinary spanking. If this isn't your thing, please don't read it.

**CHAPTER 6**

Mal paced the limited space of his bunk. He was trying to decide what to do about the situation with Marie and the roles various members of his crew had played in it. He suspected that Kaylee had voluntarily agreed to help Marie leave the ship. And he was also certain that despite his mechanic's efforts to convince him otherwise, River had willingly participated as well. He just didn't know exactly what role she had played. Making another turn around the small room, he came to a decision.

Mal was slightly startled when he opened the hatch to his bunk and found Inara standing outside, her hand raised as though she had been about to knock. "What are you doing here?" he demanded.

"Simon asked me to come get you. Marie is starting to wake up." She stepped back so that the captain could exit the hatch.

"'Bout time," Mal grumbled, and started down the corridor toward the stairway that would lead down to the ship's infirmary.

"Mal, wait a minute." Inara called. When he didn't stop, she hurried to catch up with him. Grabbing his arm just before he started down the stairs, she forced him to stop.

"What do you want?" Mal practically snarled as he spun to face her. "I ain't got time for this."

"Well, you're just going to have to make time," Inara responded, not the least bit fazed by Mal's show of temper.

Mal sighed heavily. He really didn't want to make time for whatever complaint Inara had at the moment. But, he also knew that the former companion was nothing but persistent. She'd hound him until she got what she wanted. "Go ahead and have your say."

"Don't be too hard on them. They did what they thought was right."

Mal took two menacing steps forward and leaned down so that his face was only inches away from Inara's. "I've told you before, and I ain't tellin' you again, you don't give me orders on this ship." When Inara nodded her understanding he took a step back. "What they did got Marie snatched and drugged. They ain't gonna be gettin' off easy for that." With that, Mal turned on his heel and, leaving Inara standing in the corridor, hurried down the stairs.

Mal entered the infirmary and immediately noticed that Marie was awaking and sitting up on the exam table. He glared at her briefly before turning to Simon. "Well?" he barked.

Simon looked up from the test results he was studying. He glanced first at Marie and then at Mal. "Well, obviously she's now awake. However, she is still weak and will need some time to regain her strength. I was getting ready to take her to her room, where she can rest more comfortably."

"Whatta she need rest for? She's been asleep for hours."

Simon sighed and shook his head. He knew the captain was in a temper, but even he couldn't be that dim. "She was drugged with a substance I have not yet been able to identify. Although she is now fully conscious, she will continue to suffer from its effects until such time as it has completely left her system."

"I am sitting right here, you know," Marie interjected, somewhat groggily. Her head felt like it was stuffed with cotton, and she didn't much care for being discussed like she wasn't in the room.

"_Bizui ni wu er tong_!"

Marie cringed when Mal turned his temper in her direction. She quickly decided that she could have gone a while longer without having to face the captain's wrath. Mal continued to give her a hard stare for several moments before turning back to Simon.

"And just how long do you think that will take, doctor?" he demanded. He knew he was going to feel enough like a rotten bastard after he blistered Marie's backside for her stunt that he didn't want to do it while she was sick. However, he didn't want her thinking she was going to be getting away with it either if it was going to take her a while to recover.

Simon shrugged in response. "I couldn't say." He suspected that he knew exactly what the captain did not want to say, and he whole heartedly disagreed. There were better means of discipline than spanking.

Mal studied the young doctor for a moment before turning to Marie. "Get to your bunk and you wait for me there."

Marie's hackles immediately rose. She didn't take kindly to being ordered about, and her ire over Mal's directive overrode her sense of self-preservation. "I'm still feeling a might weak, so I think I'll rest here for a while," she said, stretching out on the table.

Mal stepped menacingly up to the examination table. "You'd best get your little _pi gu_ to you bunk right now, or I might decide to blister it right here and now."

"You wouldn't dare." Marie sat up.

"Do you really want ta' put that theory to the test?" Mal demanded, his hands resting on the buckle to the gun belt he still wore strapped around his waist.

Marie slipped off the table and immediately regretted her quick movement. She steadied herself with a hand on the table as her head spun.

Simon shoved past Mal and moved to support Marie. Glaring at Mal, he slipped an arm around the girl's back and draped her free arm over his own shoulders. "You shouldn't move so quickly. Come on, I'll help you to your room. You can rest more comfortably there."

"Doctor," Mal started to interrupt.

"I'll be back shortly. Then you and I can discuss this, Captain," Simon replied shortly.

"You're damn right we'll talk about this," Mal growled at Simon's back. He punched the wall in frustration and was still trying to shake the pain out of his hand when Simon returned to the infirmary.

Simon hadn't missed Mal's assault on the wall and took the captain's injured hand in his own. He quickly and efficiently examined it. "It's not broken, but it is pretty badly bruised. You're going to want to find a cold pack for that."

"You're gonna be needin' more'n a cold pack if you interfere with me again."

Simon stepped back from Mal and moved to a storage cabinet. "I'm sorry, but I happen to think that there are better ways to handle this matter than physical punishment." He pulled out a cold pack and tossed it to the captain, who deftly caught it with his good hand. The doctor watched as Mal shook the pack to activate it and place it over his bruised hand.

"So you think I should just pat her on the head and send her to her room without supper, huh?" Mal tossed the cold pack onto the nearby counter. "She put herself and everyone else on this boat in danger when she snuck off, including Kaylee and River - not to mention that she got Kaylee and River to help her." He took a few menacing steps closer to Simon. "She's gonna answer for that. Just like Kaylee and River are going to answer for their part in this."

"You are not going to spank Kaylee and River. I won't allow it."

Mal reacted before Simon had a chance to realize what was going on. His fist flew, catching the doctor on the chin and bloodying his lip. The captain reached down and hauled Simon up from the floor by the front of his shirt and pushed him into the nearest wall. "I've had it with people tellin' me what to do on my ship. It stops now. If you ever think to give me orders again, I'll throw you out the airlock. You got it?"

When Simon nodded, Mal let him go and watched as he slid down the wall to sit on the floor. He spun on his heel and stalked out of the infirmary. Quickly deciding that he would go up to the bridge and check to see if there'd been any waves he made his way through the kitchen. As Mal exited the kitchen, he literally bumped into Jayne.

"What's goin' on, Cap'n?" the big mercenary asked. He took a quick step back at the hard look he received from Mal. And, as Mal passed by him he muttered, "forget I even asked."

A short while later, when his temper was back under control, Mal stood outside the door to Kaylee's bunk. He'd been in that same position only one other time before, and he didn't like any better now than he had then.

Kaylee looked up when Mal descended the ladder into her bunk. She knew exactly what was going to happen, but she didn't know which was worse – the waiting or the actual spanking itself.

Mal remained silent as he moved across the room to sit on the bed beside Kaylee. "You want to tell me what that was all about today, _mei mei_?" he asked gently.

She didn't want to, but knew that would definitely be the wrong answer – and she didn't want to make the captain any angrier than he already was. "I thought I was helping her. She was so scared of her father that I couldn't stand to see her have to go back to him."

"And you didn't think to talk to me about it?" he demanded.

"Marie said that she'd tried but you wouldn't listen to her. I didn't think you'd listen to me either."

"That's your problem, Kaylee. You don't think. You just act." Mal grasped Kaylee by the shoulders and turned her so that he could look her in the eyes. "You knew what would happen when you helped Marie leave the ship, didn't you." It was more of a statement than a question.

"Yes, sir, I knew." Her gaze left the captain's and settled on her hands, which were fidgeting in her lap. Kaylee was a grown woman, but she suddenly felt like a little girl. "You gonna whoop me?"

Mal reached back and pulled the improvised paddle out of his waist band. "I think you deserve it, don't you?" He tapped the paddle lightly on his leg before continuing. "I've got one question before we do this, and you'd best ponder your answer carefully. What was River's role in all this?"

Kaylee couldn't believe he had just asked her to squeal on her friend. She knew if she lied and told him that River had nothing to do with it, he'd eventually find out. The captain wouldn't tolerate being lied to, and it would go a whole lot worse for her in the end.

"I'm waiting."

Kaylee sighed. So much for trying to keep River out of it, she thought. "She helped plan Marie's escape. But only because I asked her to," she quickly added.

Mal nodded. "Best get this over with." He ordered her to stand up and drop her coveralls. He'd already decided he would allow her to retain her underwear to preserve her modesty, but the tough fabric of her coveralls would provide too much protection against the paddle. When Kaylee had obeyed and was in position over his knees, Mal asked, "why are you gettin' this whoopin'?"

Kaylee's voice trembled as she replied, "'cause I helped Marie escape the ship and that put her and everyone else in danger."

"What else?" Mal demanded.

"I didn't trust you."

The captain raised the paddle and brought it down hard on Kaylee's upturned backside. She whimpered at the sting from the first swat and bit her lip to keep from crying out. She knew that everyone on the ship would be aware of what was happening, but she didn't want to advertise the fact that she was being spanked by crying out. However, after only a few more swats she couldn't contain her cries. By the time the last blow fell, her backside felt like it had been lit on fire and her cries of pain were down to wracking sobs. It took her several seconds to realize that Mal had laid the paddle beside him on the bed and was rubbing her back.

When Kaylee moved to stand, Mal helped up from her position across his knees. He watched as she very gingerly pulled up her coveralls and fastened them to the waist, letting the arms dangle at her sides. He then stood and pulled the young mechanic into his arms.

"I'm sorry I had to do that _mei mei_, but you knew when you helped Marie escape that you were doin' wrong and what would happen." Mal's lip quirked up in a slight smile when he felt Kaylee nod her head in agreement.

Kaylee stepped out of his arms and moved to stand beside the bed. She wanted to curl up and cry into her pillow, but wasn't going to give into that indulgence until Mal left her alone. "You talked to River and Marie yet?"

"I'm goin' to talk to River next. Marie still needs a little time to regain her strength, but she and I'll be havin' us a serious discussion before the day's over. Now, you stay here until dinner time, then I expect to see you in the kitchen." When Kaylee answered him affirmatively, he moved toward the ladder leading out of her bunk. "Gotta prove to everybody that I didn't kill you and stash your body someplace." He smiled when Kaylee gave him a watery grin in response.

Mal was mildly surprised when he didn't encounter anyone on his way to River's room. When he entered the room without knocking he found River lying on her back with her feet propped on the wall.

River swung her feet down and sat up. She studied Mal for a moment. As a reader, she was easily able to sense his turmoil over the punishment he had just delivered to Kaylee and the one he was about to deliver to her. She also knew all about the improvised paddle he had stashed in the back waistband of his pants.

Like he had with Kaylee, Mal moved to sit beside River. They sat in silence for a few seconds before River asked, "my turn?"

"Yes, little one, I'm afraid it is." Mal wished he didn't have to do this. He hated having to paddle Kaylee, but with River, despite her past assurances, he was never sure if what he did would send her back into the fog she'd lived in prior to the events on Miranda.

River sighed and decided to make things a little easier for the captain. "I helped Kaylee and Marie plan her escape. And, if Jayne had been in the cargo bay when she left I was going to create a diversion. I knew it was wrong when I did it, and I should have trusted you." She waited expectantly for Mal's reaction.

Mal didn't know why he was surprised. He knew all about River's abilities as a reader, and in fact had used them to his advantage more than once. "Well, I guess that just about covers it. I don't suppose I gotta ask you why you're gettin' this spankin' do I?"

"Because I helped Marie escape and in doing so put everyone in danger. And I didn't trust you." Mal smiled to himself. Her answer was nearly identical to Kaylee's. "Is that your answer or did you read that, too?" he asked.

"It's my answer." River stood and waited for the order to place herself over Mal's knees. She didn't particularly want to receive the paddling any more than Mal wanted to deliver it, but she didn't see any reason to make it worse on both of them by resisting.

When River was in position across his lap, Mal tossed up the skirt of her dress, revealing her panty-covered backside. As he had with Kaylee, he left her underwear in place to preserve her modesty. Sighing heavily he raised the paddle and brought it down in a sharp smack.

River tried to remain stoic, but the more the paddle landed on her backside the harder it was to hold back the cries. Finally, when Mal applied the paddle to her backside for the last time, she was crying openly.

Mal tossed the paddle onto the bed and gently lowered River's skirt back into place. He then stood the young girl back on her feet and pulled her into his arms for a hug.

"I'm sorry." Her apology was said so quietly that Mal wasn't sure he had even heard her.

"You're forgiven, little one. Just don't make me have to do that again anytime soon, okay."

"Yes, sir," River responded.

"I don't suppose I gotta tell you to stay in here until dinner, do I?" Mal asked, sure River had read that directive when she'd read his other thoughts.

River smiled at him. "I hadn't read that one."

Mal sighed as he stepped from the room and closed the door. It was time for him to look in on Marie and decide if she was up for her turn over his knee. He was startled when he heard his name being called and looked up to see Zoe coming down the corridor toward him.

"Captain, you've got a wave and I think you might want to take it."

Mal groaned. An interruption was just what he needed at this point. He wanted to get the coming confrontation with Marie over and done with so he could put this entire episode behind them and move on. "Who is it?"

Zoe stopped in front of Mal, and he didn't miss the concerned expression on her face. "It's Liam Hawkins, sir."

TBC

7


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's notes: **Thanks for all of your reviews and comments. I really appreciate them.

This chapter contains the disciplinary spanking of a teenager. If that's not your thing, don't read it. You can't say you haven't been warned.

**CHAPTER 7**

Mal sat in the pilot's seat and flipped on the monitor. As soon as the transmission came through he growled, "whatta you want?"

"Now is that any way to greet someone?" Liam Hawkins replied.

Mal ignored the question and repeated, "what do you want?"

"Can't a father call and ask about the welfare of his daughter?"

Mal leaned back in his chair, trying to convey an air of disinterest. He heard Zoe step onto the bridge, but didn't acknowledge her presence. "I gotta wonder why you're acting all concerned-like when you just paid a couple a _go tsao de huai dan_ to drug and kidnap her. Or didn't you get the message I left with them?"

"What do you mean she was drugged?" Hawkins demanded.

"So you're not denying that you paid to have your own daughter kidnapped off my ship?"

Hawkins leaned forward so that his face filled the monitor. "I paid those fools to kidnap her, not drug her. What happened?"

Mal spared a glance for Zoe, who, although still out of range of the view screen, had moved to lean against the co-pilot's station. She shrugged her shoulders in response, indicating that she thought the captain ought to get more information.

He recounted what had happened while they were out the fuel station, leaving out the part certain members of his crew had played in the fiasco and his response to it. "She's in her bunk now recoverin' from whatever drug it was they gave her. Our doc hasn't been able to identify it, but he says she's gonna be fine – just needs a little rest." Mal had studied Hawkins' face while he related his tale. "Now you wanna tell me why you had your own daughter kidnapped?"

"Well, what can I say," Hawkins laughed. "You passed the test with flyin' colors."

"_Tah mah duh hwoon dahn,_" Mal growled. "You mean to tell me that all this was some sorta test?" If he had been able, he would have reached through the monitor and strangled Hawkins with his bare hands.

"I had to be sure you were the right man to protect my little girl," Hawkins explained. "I've made some powerful enemies over the past few years. At least one of them has made threats against Marie. Although she was never made aware of it, an0020attempt to kill her was made just a few months ago at Sean's. One of his hands found the trap that had been set for her instead. She was told that the man died in an accident."

Mal watched as Hawkins picked up a bottle from the table in front of him and poured whisky into a small glass. Hawkins tossed back the whiskey and continued.

"I know she doesn't trust me, and that's entirely my fault. Because of that distrust, she wouldn't willingly take steps to protect herself." Hawkins gave a short laugh. "In fact, she'd do everything possible to put herself in danger. Her managing to leave your ship is a prime example of that."

Hawkins grew serious. "Mal, I needed to make sure you were the man I thought you were. I paid a couple of my men to take her off your ship. I knew that if you came after her, I could trust you to protect her."

Mal wasn't too happy with what he was hearing. He didn't like being used, and what Hawkins did wasn't sitting too well in his gut. "She's gonna be regrettin' that decision 'fore too long."

"What do you mean?"

Mal spared another glance at Zoe, who raised her eyebrow in query. "Let's just say she ain't gonna be sittin' too comfortable for a while when I get finished with her."

Hawkins nodded. He wasn't all that surprised that Mal was taking disciplinary action against Marie, and the form that action was taking amused him a little. He silently thought that if either he or Sean had taken that kind of action, maybe Marie wouldn't be so headstrong now. "Now that all of that is settled, I want to ask you to keep Marie on your ship a while longer. At least until I can take care of the threat to her. I'm more than willing to pay extra for her passage. Just tell me where you want the money sent."

Mal was conflicted. On one hand, they could use the coin and he couldn't see himself throwing Marie to the proverbial wolves. But, on the other hand, he didn't know if he wanted the hassle that would come with having the teenage girl on his ship for an unknown length of time. "Hold on," Mal stated and switched the communication device onto hold. He then turned to Zoe. "What do you think."

"Well, sir," she stated, straightening up from where she leaned against the console. "I don't see how we've got much choice. If Hawkins is tellin' the truth, we can't put Marie's life in danger by turnin' her out. And, we could certainly use the coin."

Mal nodded. Zoe had brought up a valid point. He had no way of knowing whether Hawkins was telling the truth or spinning another tale. He sighed. "_Ta ma de_! I'm growin' soft." He reached over and flipped the communication device back on and agreed to keep Marie on the ship. After he and Hawkins had made arrangements for delivery of the coin for her passage, he shut off the device. "Guess it's time to go deal with our guest."

Mal was making his way through the ship toward Marie's room. He figured he'd given her enough time to rest and it was time for her to face the consequences. Plus, he needed to tell her what he had learned during his conversation with her father.

The captain stopped in his tracks when he entered the kitchen and found Marie sitting across the table from Inara. He couldn't believe that the girl had dared disobey him on top of everything else she had done that day.

"I thought I told you to wait for me in your bunk," Mal growled as he came to stand behind her.

"I got tired of waiting. Besides, I was getting hungry," Marie responded, ignoring Inara's warning shake of her head.

"That ain't a good enough reason to disobey me, 'specially after what you did today. Now you'd best get your little _pigu_ to your bunk before I drag you there myself."

Marie started to say something, but this time she thought better of it. Instead, she stood and, taking her cup of tea, left the kitchen. Inara and Mal watched her leave the room.

"Was that really necessary?" Inara asked. She knew Marie shouldn't have disobeyed Mal, and it hadn't really been a good idea to sass him. At that moment the captain looked like he was ready to explode, and that didn't bode well for the girl. By drawing some of his ire, Inara hoped she would give him the opportunity to calm his temper a bit before going to deal with the girl.

"You don't really want to get into this with me, Inara," Mal replied as he started to follow Marie out of the room.

Inara sighed. "Fine, but you need to calm down before you deal with her." It seemed as though she was always giving him that advice. "I heard you had a wave from her father. Tell me what he said."

Mal hung his head and silently prayed for patience. He really was tired of people telling him what to do on his own ship. But, he acknowledged, Inara did have a point. He went to one of the cupboards and pulled out a bottle of whiskey and a tin cup. Moving to sit at the table across from the former companion, he poured a couple of fingers of the amber liquid into the cup and downed it in one swallow.

"If Hawkins can be believed, seems this whole mess weren't nothing but a test."

"A test?" Inara exclaimed. That was the last thing she had expected Mal to say.

"Yeah, seems he wanted to be sure I was the right man to look after his little girl." Mal went onto relate what he had been told by Liam Hawkins.

"That poor girl," Inara stated when Mal finished his story.

"Still don't excuse what she did, Inara. She put all of us in danger by taking off like that. Not to mention the fact that she managed to get herself drugged and snatched."

"No, it doesn't," Inara agreed. "However, it does explain quite a few things. What are you going to do."

"Well, after I tan her hide for what she did today, I'll tell her what her father said. I also suppose I'm gonna have to go over some rules for her to follow while she's aboard – especially since she might be with us for a while."

He retrieved the wooden cutting board he'd been using as a paddle from the counter where he'd left it before going to answer Hawkins' wave and quickly made his way to Marie's bunk. Not even bothering to hide it, Mal entered her room without knocking.

Marie looked up when he entered the room, and her eyes widened when she spotted the paddle in the captain's hand. "If you think you're going to be using that thing on me, you are sadly mistaken."

"Well now, I don't see as how you're going to have much of a choice. 'Specially seein' as how Kaylee and River have already paid the price for helpin' you leave the ship. Way I look at it, it's only fair you pay the price as well." Mal lay the paddle on the nightstand and stood in front of her, his arms crossed over his chest. "But, first you and me have got some things we need to discuss."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Marie attempted to act disinterested, but she didn't quite pull it off. If that paddle was any indication, she knew just what kind of price Kaylee and River had paid for helping her. She felt guilty about that and knew she wouldn't fight Mal when the time came.

"Oh, I think you do. I also think you knew exactly what would happen if I caught you tryin' to leave the ship. And Kaylee ain't the kind to go along without warnin' you of the consequences." Mal studied Marie as he spoke and saw the truth of what he was saying in her face."

"You refused to believe me when I came to you for help. So, I didn't have any choice."

"You always got a choice," Mal stated, slightly exasperated. "You knew I looked in those crates, and you also know what I found. Instead 'a comin' to me again, you hatched that _ai_ plan of yours."

"And just what would you have done if I'd gone to you again?"

"I don't know, and I guess we'll never find out now, will we."

Marie stood and, brushing past Mal, began pacing the small room. "I couldn't take that chance." Stopping, she turned to look at Mal. "I still don't know what he's got planned. But, guessing from the fact that he sent Benny and George after me, I'm figuring it can't be anything good."

Mal nodded. "Just so happens I've had a little talk with your father about that."

Marie stared at him, her mouth agape in surprise. She couldn't believe that her father would have confided his plans to this man.

"Seems that kidnappin' you was a test for me and my crew to see how well we'd protect you." Mal went on to explain her father's concerns over the threats that had been made against her life. When he was finished he took a step toward Marie and grasped her upper arm. "Since it looks like you're gonna be stayin' with us for a while, I suppose we'd best get this over with so's we can move past it."

With that, he pulled Marie over to the bed. Mal sat and pulled her over his lap, ignoring her attempts to free herself. Tucking his arm around her waist and snugging her in close to his body, he reached for the paddle with this other hand. "You put yourself and my crew in danger. You talked two members of my crew into helping you. I can't just let that go. The safety of my crew and everyone else aboard my ship, including you, ain't something I take lightly. Way I see it, you can accept this lickin' and once I'm finished, it'll be over and everything will be forgiven. You can start over with a clean slate. Or, you can fight me on this and it'll just go a whole lot worse for you. Either way this is happening, and ain't nothing you can do to stop it."

Marie considered his words carefully. She felt guilty about dragging Kaylee and River into her mess and causing them to get into trouble. The least she could do was to accept the same punishment they'd received. "All right."

Mal was relieved when Marie grudgingly agreed to accept the punishment. It was bad enough that he had to do it, without her making it harder on herself. He yanked her cotton pants down to her knees, leaving only her thin panties covering her backside, and lifted the paddle and brought it down hard. She cried out from the shock of the pain searing across her flesh. By the twelfth time the paddle landed, she was crying hard and it took her several seconds to realize that Mal had stopped.

"Why are you gettin' this lickin'?" he asked.

"I don't know."

Mal brought the paddle down again, causing her to cry out. "I think you do know."

"Because you're a _kuh-ooh duh lao bao jurn."_

"Wrong answer." He brought the paddle down hard three more times. "Want to try that again?"

"Okay, okay. Stop. I made a bad decision that put myself and your crew in danger. I promise I won't do it again."

Mal tossed the paddle on the bed and gently pulled her pants back into place. He helped her stand and pulled her into his arms for a hug.

Marie was surprised by the hug. She didn't know what she'd been expecting, but it hadn't been that. She further surprised herself by crying into Mal's shoulder while he rubbed her back in comforting circles. "It's alright. Everything's forgiven."

A few minutes later, after Marie had dried her tears, she carefully sat on the bed, wincing slightly when her sore backside hit the mattress. Mal was sitting beside her. "I suppose it's time to go over the rules you gotta follow while you're on my ship." He suppressed a chuckle at Marie's grimace. "They ain't too bad. Don't do anything that'll put you or any member of my crew in danger and you do as you're told. Think you can live with those?"

Marie thought for a moment. Those rules were pretty broad, but she supposed she could live with them. "Yeah, I suppose so."

"Good, cause if you break any of them, the lickin' you'll get will make the one you just received seem like child's play. Got it?"

"Yes, sir." Marie gave him a mock salute.

Mal frowned. Maybe he ought to add a rule about showing respect, he thought. But, he quickly changed his mind. Everybody else on _Serenity_ sassed him, why shouldn't she be any different. "Dinner'll be ready in about an hour. You stay in your bunk until somebody comes and gets you. Understood?" When Marie answered affirmatively, he left the room, closing the door as he went.

As he made his way through the ship's corridors to the kitchen he wondered what he was going to do with the girl. He had a feeling in his gut that Marie had just become a permanent member of his crew.

*** THE END ***


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